I Hop You All Had A Great Week...Because I Sure Did!

Elder Mitchell and I

April 10, 2017

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope you all had a great week. Because I sure did!

By way of announcement and keeping you all up to date with my weekly adventures, I did take a train. I was THIS *pinching thumb and pointer finger together* close to saying I didn't take a train this week. I was going to be quite impressed with myself for having had something change. But nope!

Me chilling on an elephant

We had ended up going to Sandvika for a meeting one morning, but aside from that, no train trips. This week I will though (of course haha). BUT! While I was walking through the middle of Sandvika, I saw a familiar face! One of my old neighbors I had when I lived there was walking by and I went over and talked with him for a bit. So it was way fun to catch up with him and see how life was going. Always nice to see friends!

I didn't have any really crazy foods, BUT. I did have some homemade chipotle sauce. Wow. Delicious. That's the best way to describe it. Delicious with a kick!

We were headed to over to a family's house for dinner one night this week, and as we drove past a little soccer area, we saw a couple of their sons playing there. And we had a few minutes to spare, so we parked the car and joined the neighborhood kids in soccer. Ya, I schooled like 10 year olds. Not really actually anything impressive, but it was fun at least! haha Everyone had a good time so it worked out well.

Elder Mitchell and I washed the car.

We had splits this week and Elder Mitchell (not the one here in Drammen) came from Oslo. It was a blast. We had visited several people and saw like a million people we knew along the way. So it was a way great time. And I didn't need a train ticket, so lucky me! haha

On Saturday we went out in the middle of Drammen with some tablets showing the new Easter video with people. It was a lot of fun and the sun was shining so there wasn't really anything to complain about. It had just been a blast! The video is just on www.mormon.org it's like the first thing on it. The video is called the Prince of Peace. It's a nice little 2 minute video about Easter. I liked it a lot.

Well I hope you all have a great week! Take care! And Happy Easter!!!

Sincerely,

Elder Justin Mickelson

John 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Countryside outside of Drammen #1

Countryside outside of Drammen #2

Countryside outside of Drammen #3

This Week Was Really Amazing.

Pic from the picnic (me, Elder Mitchell and Elder Decker)

April 3, 2017

Hey Everyone!

This week was really amazing. I don't know why, but each week gets more and more hectic. Maybe eventually I'll get a break. But who really knows?

Monday we spent the afternoon of our P-Day a bit more enjoyably. We decided that we needed to get out of the house, and out into nature... Or at least where the sun's shining. So in our lack of creativity, the sisters thought it'd be a great idea to go have a picnic. And because we couldn't come up with anything better, we said sure. It was really enjoyable and lots of fun. We bought a bunch of fruit, Elder Mitchell and I each got a Coca-Cola, and we went out to a park down by the river. We had our little picnic, tossed around a football (not a

soccer ball), and just had a good time. I even rolled up my pant legs a little bit to catch a little sun. Too bad it didn't do anything though. Still pasty white haha. That's alright, I'll live.

We had a little conference here in Drammen this week too. So that kept us pretty busy getting everything in line for that. But that went real well. It went smoothly so I can't complain any.

Right after the conference we, yes, got on a train, along with the missionaries in Arendal and Kristiansand because we were having splits with the Kristiansand elders. It was SUCH A LONG train ride. 4 hours. That's a long time to sit in one spot. I had to stand up and walk

around a couple times. But the train ride was real good.

Splits in Kristiansand was way nice. One, the city is like one of the most southern cities in Norway, so it's a lot warmer and it's just way cool. It's just a gorgeous place. Plus, I was with Elder Tangen who was in my MTC group, plus we served together in Sandvika, so it was a

blast. And a blast to the past. haha Just a lot of good reminiscing.

After splits, we took the beautiful, yet very rainy train ride the WHOLE 4 HOURS BACK! This time it wasn't so hard. Elder Mitchell and I each bought an 8-pack of boller, and a coke to make the trip. We ended having a way cool conversation with this lady on the train though. Fun story, her great great great something grandma was one of the last

witches burned in Norway. So, I met a descendant of a witch XD haha It was a pretty crazy story. I guess those witch trials weren't JUST in the US.

My lutefisk (sorry, didn't have bacon on this one).

LUTEFISK! Yes, so anyone still reading this finally hit the reason they wanted to read it. Yes, I finally had lutefisk. It was like one of the last foods on my Norwegian food bucket list! Now, for everyone who are turned away from the thought of lutefisk, or fish jello, or whatever you want to call it. It was DELICIOUS. Like, it was . Our landlords had made it, and wow. Good. I really liked it. I had it with some pea stew and potatoes on the side, with some bacon and grilled onions on the top. Boy was that good. If you get the chance, eat it.

This last weekend was General Conference. What a great opportunity to hear so many good talks. I loved it. It was hard to sit still for so long, but I managed! haha We're watching the last session tonight with a member here in Drammen so that'll be way fun. But I highly suggest watching it if you haven't!

I hope you all have a great week! Take care everyone!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

"Walking with the Savior in priesthood service will change the way you look at others." -Pres. Henry B. Eyring

This Was A Great Week!

Set up for the world cup of sprint cross country skiing here in Drammen (the race went around the state church and through the city)

March 13, 2017

Hello Everyone!!!

This was a great week! We had a lot of stuff happened this week.

We started out with helping out a member move into his new house. It was really great. It even ended perfectly with a little barbecue! We had some hot dogs which were delicious. Anytime you put cheese or pepperoni in a hot dog, it suddenly gets a million times better.

Almost without fail, I take a train ride somewhere around the fjord for splits. This week, the lucky city was Oslo! After buying myself a skolebrød and a strawberry milk, I stepped on the eastbound train headed for the capital!

Elder Mitchell (not the one here in Drammen) picked me up and we headed back to the apartment. It was loads of fun talking with people there, talked with a really cool guy from northern Norway, and even met some of the members in Oslo. It was really enjoyable. Oslo is a great city, with tons of things happening ALL of the time. Basically just full of life. I guess, what can you expect from the largest city in Norway?

In the course of the week, Elder Nelson also got to take a driving course with one of the local traffic school in preparation for taking his driving test soon. So hopefully, he'll soon be getting the plastic card with all of the privileges of getting to drive in Norway!

There's a couple members that I knew really well in one of my earlier cities I was in. Anyways, they had moved here to Drammen recently, and we got to drive out to their home and have dinner with them. And yes, they're just as funny as when I first met them. They live way out in the middle of nowhere essentially, but that's ok, it has a nice small town feel to the place.

So we were out knocking on some doors, talking to people and stuff, and the sweetest older lady answered the door. She comments on how she'd love to have us come in and share our message with her, but she says, "but I'm sorry. I've just been really sick lately". She goes on to say how she doesn't think she has much time left to live (really depressing to hear by the way). At this point, I kid you not, I could've sworn she was like 75 or 80, and she says she thinks she'll die soon because she's 96!!! Ok, I don't know what it is, but Norwegians have this odd ability to live basically forever. They just keep on cross country skiing when they're 80 years old like it's nobody else's business. It's just really impressive.

Well yes, I had a wonderful week, and I hope the rest of you all do too. Take care! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Justin Mickelson

Opera house in Oslo